Jenise:

Colorado through the Rockies was probably one of my favorite drives on the trip - right up there with the Pacific Coast Highway. The Colorado River traced along through the mountains right alongside the freeway practically the whole time, and it was absolutely gorgeous. There wasn't a lot of snow on the mountains, being September and all, but it was quite interesting to see the empty ski slopes as nothing but large patches of lush, green grass.

Going through the Rockies wasn't as dramatic as some of the memories I have in my head from when we used to roadtrip with the grandparents as kids - probably because we weren't towing an Airstream behind us in a diesel Ford F150, going up stressful grades in the road. It was really quite flat and easy the whole way there, tracing our way along the valley floor. I had been partly fearing the drive through the Rockies, a little nervous that we might run into snow/bad traffic/car problems, etc... The whole experience was really quite spectacular. I even thought to myself that if we'd ever wanted to move back to the US, I might really enjoy living there (if it wasn't for the really snowy winters, that is). I'd like to think I can weasel another roadtrip through there again sometime in the future. I'd really love to go back and spend some time there.

Christine had somehow managed to become an even filthier girl while on the trip, and we stopped in Colorado to give her a much-needed bath.


The before shots.


Mmmm. Bugs.


The door side panel. Serious lack of black.


Jimmer caring for his beloved. Notice how shiny she's supposed to be?

We drove straight through Denver, a choice I may regret just a tiny bit (according to family, it's quite nice as well). As soon as we got through Denver, any suggestion that there may have been mountains in Colorado had completely disappeared, and we were met with the endless stretches of the MidWest plains. The joy. It was here that I started to get a bit down, as it really felt like we were headed home - it just felt the same. And it felt like the trip was ending.

Our destination for the evening was Colby, Kansas, picked solely for the fact that there was a Motel 6 in it, and because it was where I-70 and 24 Highway split off - which was what were taking to the Great Ball o' Twine. Jimmer and I both expected Colby to be this tiny little farmer's town, with maybe a QuikTrip and a Motel 6 popped up right along the freeway, and nothing else. When we got there, I have to say we were both very impressed. It was indeed a small town, but not much different at all to Oak Grove, in that it was a somewhat big small town. I mean, they had a Dairy Queen and everything!

Equally as impressive was our Motel 6 that we stayed in. I'm not sure how many of you know, but Motel 6s are fairly cookie cutter: You walk in to your room via the outside, and are met with the bedroom, tv on the dresser, table and chairs. The sink is usually an extension on the bedroom leading up to the simple bathroom. As we pulled up to the motel, both Jimmer and I were a little confused that there were no outside doors. I went inside to book our room, and was in one of the poshest lobbies I'd seen the whole trip - rivalling our expensive, swanky Marriot in Vegas! The lady behind the counter punches us in, and then directs us to our room down the hall! We didn't have to climb some stairs outside and walk along a balcony or anything! I was so thrilled. Our last night on the road wasn't turning out to be so bad after all.

Although Colby didn't offer us the most lengthy choices of places to eat, they did have a Gambino's pizza, which also made me very happy! Gambino's are a little hard to find (why does it seem they only ever exist in small towns?) and are a true gem - one of my favorites since discovering one in Grain Valley back when I was in high school.

We make our way to the shop, and as we pull in, I notice the sign is off. Being that it's just barely dusk, I think it's only because they haven't turned them on yet. We get out and I'm already through the door when Jimmer slows to read the sign taped to the door. "New hours. M-F, close at 8:00pm." I look at my watch, and it's 8:15. I'm standing in the dining area, and I turn to a lady who is wiping down the tables. "Are you guys open?" I ask. "That's up to Linda," she says, as she motions towards the kitchen.

We go over to the counter, and Linda is in the back sorting out the trash. "Are you still open?" I ask her. She says she can whip us up something quick as long as we don't dine in - that she's still got the oven on for another customer. We promise her we'll get out of her hair, and we order ourselves a little pizza to hopefully make it easier on her. She throws it together, and as we're waiting out in the lobby for it to finish, another customer comes in. I think to myself, it's really late now, she won't serve them. As it turns out, he had ordered ahead, and it was his pizza that was why she still had the oven on and the doors unlocked. So really, we owe our dinner to that man.

About 5-10 minutes later, our pizza is done and she throws it in a box for us "straight out of the oven!" as she exclaims. "Be sure to come back, and make sure to dine in when you do!" I genuinely thanked her, and told her how much we appreciated it because we knew she didn't have to do that (and being that I've worked at McDonald's before, I know how much it sucks to have someone come in right as you're closing). Even though I hate small towns, I still gotta love their charm.

We took our pizza back to the hotel, wolfed it down like it never even existed, then found ourselves hungry for some ice cream. Remembering Colby's promise of a Dairy Queen, we pop out and cross the road, only to be reminded of one of the reasons that I hate small towns - everything closes as soon as the sun sets. So we cussed at the door for a bit, then walked next door to the gas station and got some ice cream sandwiches, as well as a little Wizard of Oz gift for a friend back home.

We made our evening's regrets gorging ourselves on way too much ice cream, and we finished the last night of our roadtrip watching "Two Weeks' Notice" and the first part of "Scream."




GREENERY!!







No Name, CO. I wonder how much of a hard time these residents have when they fill out applications.














































When we stopped for gas, Jimmer wanted to take a picture of a "neat church."


Christine. Representin'.